Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Definition Of Family ❯ Kaiba Brothers, meet Chihiro! ( Chapter 3 )

          ;  Only three reviews! ::: sniff, sniff::: Well, at least two people are reading my fic.

          &nb sp;Kaiba: ::: smirks::: Yeah, but Aura's your sister. Which just goes to show what a pathetic author you really are!

          &nb sp;::: steps back when Red pulls out a type of spear:::

           ; Red: I dare you to repeat that, Kaiba-boy...

         & nbsp; Kaiba: :::glares::: You wouldn't dare! Where'd you get that thing, anyway?!

           ; Red : :::beams::: This 'thing' as you call it, is a halberd. It's the weapon of ::: strikes a dramatic pose::: SUZAKU! Keeper of the Sacred Flame! High Priestess of the God of the South!!! ::: Kaiba rolls his eyes:::

            Kaiba: ... whatever... :::Red points her halberd at him again:::

           ; Red: You DARE to mock the great Suzaku, the Red Phoenix?! ::: Aura suddenly comes in:::

          &n bsp;Aura: Better apologize, Kaiba! She's not taking any medication!

         &n bsp; Kaiba: :::narrows his eyes::: Fine. Sorry. Happy? ::: Red beams again and lowers and halberd:::

         &nb sp; Red: YES!

          &nb sp;Kaiba: I'm getting out of this nuthouse.... :::turns to Aura::: You have my deepest sympathy for having to deal with this every day.... :::strolls out the door; Red sticks out her tongue after him:::

          & nbsp;Red: Fathead...

         &nb sp; Aura: :::sighs::: Just get on with the story....

         &nbs p; Red: Okay! :::turns to readers:::

         &nb sp; To all it will concern: I DO NOT OWN 'YU-GI-OH!' I DO HOWEVER, OWN KEITARO AKAMATSU THE LAWYER AND ALL THE OOMURA'S, INCLUDING CHIHIRO!!! Oh, and the story idea is mine, too! SO DON'T STEAL IT OR MY OC'S OR ELSE!!!! ::: holds out halberd:::

     &nb sp;     *****************

               &nb sp;       Definition Of Family

         &n bsp;             ;By:

          &nb sp;           Red Phoenix Star

          ;  *******************

                  &nb sp;    Chapter 3: Kaiba Brother's, meet Chihiro!

            ********************

   &n bsp;       It took a moment for Kaiba to respond. He shook his head slightly before he spoke. "Excuse me... who?" Mokuba was also staring in confusion.

         &nb sp; Mr. Akamatsu opened up his briefcase, and after rifling through some papers, began to explain. "Chihiro Oomura. Seven years old, born September 7th and is the youngest child of the late Daisuke and Yoko Oomura. She was born two months prematurely and as a result, has about fifty percent hearing loss in both ears and requires periodic visits at the ear and eye clinic at Domino Hospital. She attends the Reiko Takei School for the Deaf and..."

            "Now just a minute!" Kaiba interrupted after managing to find his voice again. Did this guy just say what he thinks he said? He was staring at the man before him like he'd just grown an extra head. "I have another cousin?!" Mr. Akamatsu looked up from his papers and tilted his head slightly. "Yes, sir." 'Damn, you are a genius, aren't you?' He thought with sarcastic amusement. He watched as Kaiba squeezed the bridge of his nose.

          &n bsp;"Do you mean to say..." Kaiba began slowly. "... that my worthless relatives, in all their infinite wisdom, went ahead and conceived another?" The very notion made Kaiba ill. Mr. Akamatsu cleared his throat. "Well, if you want to put it that way... yes." Kaiba's head suddenly shot up, his eyes flashing in annoyance. "And why, may I ask, should I be made to care about this one?" The lawyer's face became serious.

           ; "Mr. Kaiba, from what I've been told of your own past experience with the Oomura's, that it would be easy for you to imagine how they have treated this child." This caught Mokuba's attention. "They... they weren't always nice to her?" The lawyer sighed. "That's one way of putting it. Another way of saying it is that child services have a very thick file of reports on how they've treated her."

          &n bsp;Mokuba looked only slightly astonished before lowering his head. Kaiba's face took on a harder edge. He remembers with startling clarity his time with his relatives. He was bullied, threatened, used and betrayed by those people. If that's how they treated him, a healthy seven-year-old boy, then he could only picture how they treated this little girl, who clearly needed special attention. That's when something hit him.

          &nb sp;"What about the other three?" The teen CEO asked sharply. Mr. Akamatsu adjusted his glasses before continuing. "Their grandparents, Taro and Sora Oomura, have agreed to take them in on the condition," he added, noting Kaiba's glare. "... that they attend school and that the two older children find part-time jobs in order to help pay their tuition and various other expenses."

         &nb sp; "And just what made you think that I would take her in?" Kaiba demanded. This whole situation sounded completely ludicrous to him. Do these people honestly think he would willingly accept a little girl whom he'd never met? How could he be sure that she would be any different from her hopelessly brain-dead family? For all he knew she could be as bad as her parents had been. Or her siblings, for that matter. Either way, he wasn't going to take this kid based solely on genetics.

         &nbs p;  He gave Kaiba a look that appeared to be a mix between a plea and understanding. "Mr. Kaiba, please understand that my clients are over seventy. Mr. Oomura is retired and they receive a pension every month, but they're just getting by. Moreover, they won't be able to watch Chihiro every second. She needs special care and if were just her..." He heaved a sigh, rubbed the bridge of his nose and leaned forward in his seat, lacing his fingers together.

         &nbs p; "The senior Oomura's had been trying to get custody of their youngest granddaughter for more than three years. They knew she'd be happier and safer with them. But there was always some roadblock. Social services couldn't find any evidence of neglect or abuse, mainly because they're inundated with hundreds of other cases daily and they're severely understaffed. Besides anything even remotely suspicious was covered up by some of the oldest excuses in the book like, 'she fell', or some other such story. My lawfirm has been representing the Oomura's pro-bono because they have no other means of income besides a retirement fund and the pension. Even though they qualify for public and financial assistance for her care, with their other grandchildren in the house, it wouldn't be a safe or happy environment for Chihiro. Mr. Kaiba..." Mr. Akamatsu was giving him what could be best described as an imploring look. "... no one else in their family can take her in due to finances, poor health or they're unreachable. She has no one else. They told me about you and..." He hesitated. "... they understand your reasons for not wanting her brothers and sister, but were hoping you would at least be willing to take her in. She needs a home, Mr. Kaiba. She needs you."

         & nbsp; Kaiba stared at Mr. Akamatsu for a moment. Then he turned his chair so he was facing away from the older man. "If your looking to play on sympathy, you've come to the wrong person." Mokuba gasped in disbelief at his brother's cold reply as Mr. Akamatsu stared in bewilderment.

            "Mr. Kaiba... !" The lawyer began, but was cut off. "I don't have time to deal with a kid I've never even met before... and certainly not if they're the offspring of the two worthless individuals who dumped me and my brother after wasting our inheritance on junk for themselves. This is a gaming company, not a home for waifs!" Mr. Akamatsu was thrown off for a split second before he gave Kaiba a serious look.

          &n bsp;"Mr. Kaiba, you do realize that by refusing, that her grandparents will have no other choice but to send Chihiro to a local orphanage or perhaps even an institution."

            "That's not my problem." Kaiba stated crossing his arms. "And anyway, if they want to keep the little girl, why don't they pack off the older ones and keep her?"

          &n bsp;"There are all too old for any facility available, say an orphanage or even foster care. Particularly since human services won't even consider placing them due to their reckless behavior. Their grandparents are the only one's who were willing to take them in. No one else in the family would."

            Kaiba sneered. "I can't imagine why." He stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I remember them as such... delightful children."

         &nb sp; Mr. Akamatsu went on. "Be that as it may, Mr. Kaiba. You are the only real option available to Chihiro. Would you like to know what tends to happen to hearing-impaired children who are placed in an orphanage?" Kaiba glared, but Mokuba wanted to know. "What could happen to her?" He understood his big brother's resentment toward their other relatives, but they'd never even met this little girl. Mr. Akamatsu's face became grim.

          &n bsp;"Well, as I'm sure you know, from your own experience, people take a lot of things into consideration when adopting a child," he started. "They will view Chihiro as too much of a financial liability and write her off. It's expensive enough going through the process of adopting. Very few people are willing to adopt a child with special needs, as it requires financial, emotional and physical stamina.

           ; Then there's her education to consider. Even with funding, it would still be more than a couple would have to pay for a child without this disability, since she requires numerous tools and equipment that will aid in her development. And of course, there's the home environment, in which she'd have to be carefully monitored. She'd need frequent supervision because you couldn't take for granted that she would understand what was going on in the event of an emergency." As he was saying this, Mokuba looked slightly surprised. He'd met people who were blind who had guide dogs and a few deaf business associates. They had lights and alarms in every part of Kaiba Corp. Headquarters and knew that if there was a fire, earthquake or something else happened, they could hear or see the alarms going off. He had no idea that a person who was blind or deaf needed to exercise such vigilance. And since Chihiro was only a little girl, she would need extra attention and help learning such a valuable skill. The boy felt a strange pang in his chest, feeling sorry for a little girl he'd never even met. And if what Mr. Akamatsu said was true, and her own family hadn't been giving her the kind of attention she needed and there really was no one else...

            His thought was interrupted when he heard his brother speak. "This is all very interesting, but I think you've wasted enough of my time. I had to cancel a meeting with representatives from one of Japan's largest manufacturers' in computer hardware equipment and sit here while you spew out some sob story about the offspring of my pathetic relatives and being told that I have to take in a kid whom I've never even met or want anything to do with. Nothing you have told me makes her any more my responsibility than when you first came in here." He rose from his chair and stared at the attorney, who had yet to stand. "Now, if you're finished, Akamatsu... I have a company to run." Mokuba gaped at his older brother, not believing his ears. He was really going to write this little girl off? But before he could give voice to this, he saw Mr. Akamatsu rise from his seat as well and give Seto a piercing look.

          &n bsp;"You know Mr. Kaiba..." He began in what Mokuba interpreted as an angry voice. "I've heard you to be quite a ruthless, influential business man for your age." His green eyes narrowed. "...but I see that you are also a selfish, spoiled brat!"

          & nbsp;Mokuba's eyes bulged, amazed at this man nerve. No one has ever dared to speak their mind so bluntly like that to his brother!

           ; Kaiba's eyes flashed, enraged that this man is so bold as to speak to his face like that. He was just about to give this man the verbal barrage of his life when the voice of his little brother stopped him.

          &nb sp;"Would you mind waiting outside for a minute?" he said, jumping to the rescue. He now stood between the desk and the lawyer; the only shield protecting this man from his brother's evident wrath. "I need to talk this over with my brother." Mr. Akamatsu nodded. "Of course. I'll be right outside." In one fluid motion, Mr. Akamatsu picked up his briefcase and, with Mokuba escorting him, strolled out of Kaiba's office.

            As soon as the door clicked shut, Mokuba whirled around and stomped up to Seto's desk, all the while giving his big brother an infuriated glare.

          & nbsp;"I can't believe you, Seto!" Mokuba shouted. His gray-violet eyes were dark and flashing and his normally soft features were hardened in anger. "You're just gonna walk away from this?!" Kaiba frowned, not expecting his little brother to be so angry.

          & nbsp;"It's not our problem..." He started, but was cut off. "Chihiro is our cousin and has no where else to go, so that makes it our problem!"

         &nbs p; "Sakuya, Masashi and Sho are our cousin's, too. You think I should allow them into our home?" Kaiba couldn't understand why Mokuba was so upset. Didn't he realize that this child's parents were the reason they ended up at the orphanage? As this was running through his mind, Mokuba continued.

         &nb sp; "I can understand you not wanting those three. But Chihiro's just a little girl! She's never done anything to you or me! You wouldn't even consider taking her!" He accused, looking his brother right in the eyes.

          &n bsp;"Her worthless parents take us in only to treat us like dirt, then ditch us at the first opportune moment when our inheritance runs out and you expect me to consider taking in one of their brats?!" Kaiba pounded his fist on the desk, hardly believing his ears. His brother actually expected him to say yes to helping this child?

          & nbsp;"You don't even know her and you're lumping her in with the rest of those creeps!" The smaller boy pointed out as he jerked an accusing finger at the teen behind the desk. "And you didn't even think to ask me how I felt about it!" Mokuba stared hard at him. "I was there, too, Seto. I saw and heard everything that went on in their house. You may not think I remember, but I do." Kaiba blinked at his brother in surprise. Mokuba was only two years old when they went to live with their mother's sister and her family. He never once thought for an instant that he would actually remember that awful chapter in their lives.

          & nbsp;Mokuba stared at his older brother silently for a long moment before looking away. "I... I remember how nice it seemed, at first. To have parents; to have someone take care of you. Then how things seemed to change overnight..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "... I remember how Masashi always used to pick on me; how he would pull my hair and call me a girl, and then you would always come and shove him away. You even gave him a black eye once..." Kaiba inwardly smirked; oh, he remembered that time. Masashi was chasing Mokuba around with a pair of scissors and kept yelling that he was the barber monster and he was going to give Mokuba a haircut. Just when he had his little cousin cornered, Seto came rushing to the rescue after hearing his little brother's screams of fear and WHAM! Masashi was sporting a shiner for a month. He got grounded for a week, but it didn't matter; it was one of the few times that his Aunt Yoko yelled at one of her kid's for doing something bad and Masashi got punished, too. From that day forward, if the large six year old ever started bullying Mokuba, all Seto had to do was crack his knuckles and he scampered. As this memory flitted through Kaiba's mind, Mokuba went on.

          &nbs p;"... and I remember Sakuya and how she always threw a fit when she didn't get her way. How she would throw things and scream and make us miserable. Like when we were at the store and she started screaming and throwing everything in the cart out on the floor if she couldn't have something. How she would hit me and say something was my fault. I remember when Sho burned that hole in the living room carpet and he tried to blame me, but you came to my defense. I remember Aunt Yoko being all nice one minute, then get mad the next when something didn't go her way. Or how she was showing off that gaudy necklace she bought and showed to all those dumb friends of hers at that party; how Uncle Daisuke would try to cover up the spending of our inheritance by turning it around and insisting it was 'for the good of the family.'" He said this in a rather bitter tone. "... and then the day they left us at the orphanage... and how glad they were to not have us around anymore."

         &nbs p; All the while, Kaiba was silent. He remembered all those things and so much more. The time with his relatives hurt him deeply; almost as painful as his time with Gozaburo Kaiba, because they had been blood; his mother's sister and her family. They were supposed to be people he could trust... and it was because of their selfish actions that Kaiba stopped trusting people altogether. Mokuba was the only person he could really count on.

          &nbs p;"I can only imagine how they treated her." Mokuba said in a quiet voice. He still didn't look at his brother. "It must have been really hard for her; being born into a family that never wanted her and saw her as a burden. She must have been really lonely, not having anyone to turn to. She probably thinks that no one cares about her..." He suddenly jerked his head to face Kaiba once more, his eyes filled with a deep sadness that surprised the older Kaiba. "Is that what you want, Seto? Do you honestly want her to go through her entire life thinking that no one loves her? That she doesn't deserve a family? What did she ever do to deserve that?"

          & nbsp;Kaiba sighed heavily. "Mokuba..."

         &n bsp; "She's alone, Seto." Mokuba continued in that same soft voice. "Her own parents didn't even want her and her brothers' and sister treated her like dirt. I'm actually surprised that they didn't drop her in an orphanage the first chance they got. Probably got some sort of public assistance. That's all she was good for to them. Just to get some easy money." Kaiba opened his mouth to say something, but for some reason, he couldn't get the words out. That was most likely true. If the only reason they kept Chihiro around was so they could get some easy cash, then they were even lower than he originally thought.

           ; "I feel really sorry for her. She doesn't have anyone to turn to. She doesn't have a brother or sister that would take any risks for her or be willing to do anything for her... like me." He gave his brother a meaningful look. "I guess, looking back, we were lucky. I at least had you. But... she doesn't have anyone..."

         &nb sp; "Mokuba..." Kaiba felt his throat go dry at his brother's words. He had never once, in their early years, considered himself lucky. He thought they were 'lucky' when Gozaburo adopted them, but that turned out to be the rotten kind of luck. He never once stopped to think how fortunate he was to have his little brother in his life... the only person he had in the world that he trusted; loved. The person he'd do anything for; die for.

          &nb sp;It was then that Mokuba's voice suddenly became filled with steely resolve as he looked his older brother right in the eye. "If you say no, Big Brother; if you refuse to take her in just because she came from a family full of creeps who treated us lousy, or because you think she's an inconvenience... then you'll be no better than them." The eleven-year-old gave him a final glare. "... and I will never, ever forgive or respect you for it for as long as I live!"

          & nbsp;Kaiba couldn't keep his jaw from dropping. Was Mokuba serious? He couldn't be...! Not for this! Yet as he stared into those familiar gray-violet eyes, he could see that he meant every word.

          &n bsp;After a long moment, Kaiba finally tore his gaze from his brother and strolled towards the large window. He stood there, silently contemplating Mokuba's words as he gazed out over the view of Domino. He was right; it wasn't her fault she had such vile, selfish people for a family. And she wasn't the one who hurt him. She was an innocent victim in all this, and he shouldn't hold her responsible for the rest of her family's actions. If he refused this child based solely on his own experience with the despicable Oomura's, then he'd be no better than they had been, and he'd be damned before that happened. But still...

           ; Could he really take in this little girl? Did he even want to? Would she be a constant reminder of what her parents put him and Mokuba through?

           ; First there were the cons; number one being her family. Sure her parents were dead now and as far as he's heard, she was better off without them. But the issue of the rest of their brood was still up in the air. He certainly didn't want to risk them coming around him and Mokuba while they were at home, school or Kaiba Corp. As far as her grandparents went, they could visit if they wanted to, but those brats were off-limits. If he did take in this little girl, then he'd have to get restraining orders to keep that bitch Sakuya and her bonehead brothers' away from them, and off any property belonging to the Kaiba family.

            Then there was the fact that he knew absolutely nothing about girls. To him, they were foreign territory and he did his best to avoid them whenever possible. Give him any subject to study and he'd pass it with flying colors. But as far as knowledge of those of the opposite gender went... well, he was as clueless as any other guy his age. Now here he was, considering if he should take in a seven-year-old of that most mysterious of species. He had enough trouble handling the groupies of females around his age when he was at school or out in public. How would he handle one that would potentially be living with them? How did he handle her as a child? As a teenager? Mokuba was going to be tough enough to handle in a couple of years when he turned thirteen. He heard that women mature faster than boys and God only knows what would happen when this one hit that point. She'd start wearing make-up, short skirts and become interested in boys. Worst of all, she would have questions about... he shuddered at the thought. Then shook himself. He'll deal with that when they get to that point. If he decided to go through with this.

          &n bsp;Then of course, there was her being partially deaf. He'd need to take safety measures in the Kaiba household to ensure that she didn't hurt herself. And she'd need someone with her at all times. At least, until she was older and more independent. Then he'd probably have to learn sign language so he could communicate with her properly. No problem; there were bound to be hundreds of books and several dozen websites devoted to that sort of thing.

          & nbsp;To top it all of, there was the issue of time. Could he make time for this little girl? He was almost always working and barely had enough time to spend with Mokuba. How could he possibly make time for her? Well, he'd just have to learn to, he reasoned. He'd need to be present at her doctor's appointments, of course and he'd want to check out her school...

         &nbs p; Now the pros... what was the positive side of taking in this unknown child?

          ;  The answer was almost instantaneous. She would have an actual home, he thought. She wouldn't be stuck in an orphanage and constantly passed over because of her physical limitations or be considered 'too expensive' or 'damaged goods'. She'd be given the best of care; everything she would ever need or want. There would always be someone for her to talk to; to actually listen to her sorrows and fears. But most of all... she'd be safe. She wouldn't be living in constant fear and pain of her vicious siblings... she would never again have to go through the pain that he did. Living in a home where no one cared about you, or physically and emotionally hurt you. She would have people around who would protect her. Care about her.

          &nb sp;It was at that moment realization hit him. Didn't Akamatsu say that Sakuya and Masashi had to work and go to school if they wanted to stay with their grandparents? Then they would have to get jobs. A slow, satisfied smirk began to spread over his face. He immediately began to picture Sakuya wearing a Burger World uniform and asking a customer if they wanted fries with their order, or Masashi trying to fit his wide butt on a bicycle trying to deliver papers, only to have it break in two. Maybe scrubbing floors in the bathroom of a fancy hotel... his smirk suddenly became wider as inspiration flooded him.

          &nb sp;'Wouldn't those three be surprised to find out that their baby sister was living with the cousin they dumped all those years ago? The cousin who was now one of the wealthiest, most powerful CEO's in the world?' For the longest time after they were left at the orphanage, Seto had been 'dying' to find a way to get back at his no-good relatives. Taking in the little sister they've abused into his home, where she would get anything she desired and be treated like royalty would be the perfect revenge.

           ; 'Oh, I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!' He thought gleefully. While part of him never wanted to see their sorry hides again, deep down he would have loved nothing more than to see their expressions of disbelief and even horror at the knowledge that the little sister they hurt so badly was living the life of a princess with the cousin they rejected, while they had to work if they wanted to keep a roof over their heads. 'Tough luck, you jerks. Maybe if they'd been a little nicer, they could at least come and visit.'

            Maybe, he thought after mulling over those images for a while. Maybe taking in this girl would prove beneficial to him in the long run. Chihiro would get a good home, and he would get revenge on his idiotic relatives for how they treated him and Mokuba. That would be sweet.

          & nbsp;'Most importantly,' he added to himself as he cast a slight glance over his shoulder at the boy standing nearby. 'If I don't do this, Mokuba would never forgive me for it for as long as I live.' And he certainly didn't want his brother hating him for anything like this. He wouldn't forgive himself, either. If for no other reason, then for his brother's sake.

          &n bsp;"Mokuba..." Kaiba finally spoke for the first time in several long minutes, startling the boy. "Yeah?" There was a cautious optimism in his voice.

          & nbsp;"Go get Akamatsu." He said in a slightly stronger tone. Mokuba gave his brother a strange look as he rushed to the door. Kaiba continued to stare out the window, idly watching the movements of the cars and people below. This was a huge risk he was taking, but he needed to give the lawyer a final, definite answer.

            "Here he is, Seto." Kaiba turned his upper body around to face the guest. There stood Mr. Akamatsu, still impeccable in his navy suit and holding his briefcase tightly. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba?" He sounded almost neutral, as if there was nothing more to say. Well, Kaiba had plenty left to say as he looked the lawyer over casually.

         &nbs p; Turning back to the window, Seto Kaiba said the words that would forever decide the rest of his life.

          &n bsp;"I'll take her."

     &nb sp;     ****************

  & nbsp;        Authors note: Chihiro's school is named after George Takei's ('Star Trek's Mr. Sulu) younger sister. My sister, Aura Black Chan, found the name in his autobiography 'To The Stars'. Thanks Aura!!!

            A cookie to anyone who can find out what Chihiro's name means!

          & nbsp;Yes, sadly enough, part of Kaiba is doing this to get back at his relatives. But don't worry! You can bet that revenge will become the furthest thing from his mind soon enough. Besides, even if he wasn't doing it for vengeance, he'd be doing it for his brother. He loves Mokuba to death and if he did something that drove a wedge between them, he'd never forgive himself. And he does start feeling a little guilty and decides he wants to help her. He wouldn't wish the Hell he and Mokuba went through on anyone and Chihiro has suffered her whole life. So yes, when Mokie puts it the way he did, he does start to feel a little responsible for her.

          &nb sp;Next up: The Kaiba brother's finally meet Chihiro Oomura and Kaiba's in for a bit a shock when he first sets eyes on his little cousin. Be there!

          & nbsp;Okay, now please! PRETTY PLEASE!!!

         &nbs p; REVIEW!!!